Johnson Masters Rutty I-30 Oval

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On a newly resurfaced I-30 Speedway, the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real found Mother Nature’s week long assistance with nearly five inches of rain produced a rough, tricky surface that saw Jason Johnson able to master the ruts while repeatedly trading the lead with Johnny Herrera for his third National Tour win of the season.

Asked about the overall race, and being able to race with Herrera, the driver of the MVT No. 41 replied, “Well that’s the good thing when you can race classy guys like Johnny Herrera. You know you can race them clean, but race them hard. There was a couple of times we were bouncing thought the holes and he [Herrera] was trying not run into the next guy and I’ll tell you, it was a treacherous race track but it was fun.”

Rolling from the outside of the front row, Johnson held the runner-up spot as I-30 regular Zach Pringle jumped to the pacers position before the caution for the spun No. 6 of Ryan Beechler with one lap complete.

Working into the runner up spot on lap seven, Herrera gave chase into slower traffic; taking the lead fro Pringle on lap 11 before the race halted for the flipped No. 3h of Brandon Hanks who began going over just off the front bumper of Herrera’s No. 45x.

Johnson began working under Herrera following the restart, only for the red to be displayed for the No. 29 of Brandon Hahn, who tipped entering turn one.